SURVAY OF INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRAGE PREVALENCE IN PREMATURE INFANTS(UNDER 2000 gr)

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is one of the most important complications in prematurity and low birth weight. Its early diagnosis and treatment has an effective impact on patients’ outcome. This study was conducted to determine IVH percent in under 2000 gram newborns and its related factors. During this observational retrospective study, 641 neonates with 2000 grams or lower birth weight were identified among 12251 total live births in hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences (1999-2001). After exclusion of newborns, who expired or left the hospital before diagnosis, 200 newborns were evaluated. IVH was investigated via brain Ultra sonography. The percentage of IVH among assessed newborns was 28.0% (95%CI: 25.2-30.9%). The most common and the least common types of IVH were degree I (37.5%) and degree IV(3.7%) respectively. The percentage of IVH in the present study was lower than that of some similar studies. This can be due to higher mortality of very low birth weight newborns(under 1500 grams) in Iran or transfer of some cases to other centers because of intensive care limitations.